Not Just Words
by HermioneHecate
Summary: Based upon an idea from a fellow DuCainer EmeraldEyes06. Horatio is shot and Calleigh, fearing she may never get another chance, tells him how she really feels.
1. Chapter 1

"Horatio? Can you hear me?"

Horatio slowly opened his eyes as a blurry image slowly came into focus. The intense pounding in his head, persistent since his transfer out of ICU, came to his realisation once the bright sunlight streamed into the room and pierced through his half-closed eyelids. He moaned, turning his head to face the windowless side of the room. The still-unknown visitor walked over and pulled the shades over the window, blanketing the hospital room with a welcome darkness. Still quite woozy from the morphine, Horatio had a hard time deciphering the voice to put a name and a face to it, but once Calleigh moved close to his bedside and turned on the lamp, a faint creamy light illuminated her worried yet smiling face. To him, however, her face was enough to brighten the darkest of any room.

Horatio mustered up enough energy to smile once he knew who was sitting beside him, gently rubbing his icy hand.

"Hi," Horatio whispered.

"Hey," Calleigh replied, quite relieved. "How you feeling?"

"Ugh, like…like a million jackhammers…are running in my head," Horatio said. "What…what happened?"

"You were shot two times in the chest and fell and hit your head on a concrete floor, which explains the headache; the doctors say you sustained a concussion but you'll be alright. It was the bullets that put you in ICU," Calleigh said, still rubbing his hand. "Your hands are cold. Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine…"

"Okay," Calleigh said, unconvinced of his response. His disheveled appearance worried her slightly; his normally well-groomed red hair was a mess and his eyes, usually a shade of blue that rivaled the bluest oceans, were cloudy and somewhat sad. The emergence of tiny red whiskers dotting his jaw and mouth were quite an unusual appearance considering Horatio had always maintained a clean-cut appearance.

"Well, I'm going to be here until visiting hours are over," she continued, "and keep you company. I've missed you, Horatio."

"I've…missed you too," Horatio said as Calleigh pulled another layer of blanket over him. _I cannot believe I almost lost you_, Calleigh said to herself. _I almost never got the chance to tell you how I feel_.

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Horatio's first day back on the job, although filled with ecstatic hugs and welcome-backs, was otherwise kept low-stress in order to reacclimatize him back to the normal routine. Since her visit in the hospital, Calleigh had assumed temporary leadership of the crime lab and was thus kept away by the responsibilities from further visits, which she deeply regretted, as the others had hardly enough time to visit him either. So when she got to see him again, she was overcome with relief that he was back to his normal self.

"Welcome back," Calleigh said softly, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you," Horatio said, returning the hug. "It's great to be back on my feet."

Calleigh pulled away slightly to look right into his eyes, which had regained the usual brilliant blue hue. When she realised that she was grinning uncontrollably, she blushed and turned her head away.

"Calleigh? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…"

Horatio gently guided Calleigh's head back to face his, and looked at her with a questioning expression.

"What is it?"

"It's just…it wasn't the same without you when you were gone. It always was, even before this."

Horatio tilted his head, clueless as to what she meant. Calleigh looked at him, anticipating words that she had been waiting to hear ever since she first met him when he came to New Orleans, begging her to come work for him in Miami.

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two. Calleigh's heart sank in disappointment.

Calleigh sighed heavily. "Forget it," she said quietly, and turned and walked quickly to the gun lab, her haven for when she wanted to get away from it all.

Horatio stood there, in complete shock.

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Tears streamed down Calleigh's face as she shot off round after round, hoping to get her mind off the fact that she made a complete fool of herself in front of the man she loved. After firing off a round, she put the gun down and hung her head in frustration.

"God, why am I so stupid?" Calleigh said loudly, putting one hand on her forehead. After standing there for a beat, she picked up the gun, put another magazine in and continued to pop off one bullet after another. She was thankful for the loud noise of the firing gun to mask her sobbing.

Horatio stood at the doorway to the gun lab, a worried look on his face. It pained him to hear her sobs amid the bangs of gunfire. The words she left him with played over and over in his mind, hoping to clue him in to what she meant. All of a sudden, flashes of images emerged in his mind: her smug grin when he pulled the leech off her leg, her calling him Handsome when they were looking for Stuart Otis' path in Zany Town, the many times she spoke to him in a tone that she used with no one else. However, two images struck him the most. The first was the time in the locker room on the day of Speedle's death when he needed someone to mourn with him; when he held her, he felt their two hearts beating at the same time, and her gentle breathing helped soothe his pain. The second was when Walter Resden tried to frame him for murder; as she was swabbing Resden's blood off his hands, Horatio felt his fingers wrap around her hand, even if she was holding his to swab it.

It was then that he realised why she had been so upset to his silence just then. _How could I have been so stupid_? he asked himself.

He slowly and quietly made his way over to where she was firing off the rounds. Once he was right behind her, he pulled the hearing protector muffs from off her ears. Calleigh ceased fire, put down the gun and closed her eyes, allowing them to be removed. She was hoping it was the one person she wanted it to be at that particular moment.

Horatio leaned close to her ear. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. Calleigh breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was so stupid not to know," Horatio continued as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Calleigh folded her hands on his arms and leaned her head to the side so that she could lean it against his.

"Horatio," Calleigh whispered, "I was hoping it was you."

"I'm glad," Horatio whispered back. He delivered a light peck to Calleigh's cheek. Calleigh smiled.

"Please tell me this isn't a dream," Calleigh said.

Horatio turned her around then found her lips with his.

"I wanted to make sure as well," Horatio said, smiling at the blushing Calleigh.

"Oh Horatio," Calleigh said, falling into his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Horatio held her tightly for a moment then pulled her back slightly.

"So…what happens now?"

"I don't know," Calleigh said. "What do you want to happen?"

Horatio smiled. "I…I would love to take you to a movie. That's what I would want to happen next."

"I want that to happen too," Calleigh replied.

Horatio's hands, solidly situated on Calleigh's upper arms, slid down the length until they found her hands. He deftly slipped his fingers through hers and squeezed tight.

"I felt like that was necessary," Horatio said, feeling a need to explain his bold action.

"No need to explain," Calleigh replied, "I would have stopped you if I didn't feel the same way."

Horatio looked at his watch and realised that the day shift was almost over. "I should be going back to my office in case someone had a report for me. Shall I pick you up at six and we can catch a late dinner?"

"That sounds great. I'll see you at six."

Horatio finally let go of Calleigh's hands then turned around to walk back to his office, but before he walked out he shot a quick glance back, complete with a shy smile.

----------

Calleigh was startled from her makeup touchup session by the sudden ringing of the doorbell, then, giggling like a preteen ran excitedly to the door. Horatio stood there, grinning, with a bouquet of daffodils.

Calleigh gasped. "Horatio, how did you know those were my favourite?"

"Well, when a person has a vase of them in their gun lab, a smart companion of theirs would make note of that."

Calleigh put a hand over her heart. "You are too sweet," she said, ushering him in her house. She ran into the kitchen to fill a vase with water to put them in. As she ran the water, she couldn't help but catch glimpses of the man standing in her living room, admiring her interior design work. The red hair that fell in front of his weathered yet handsome face, accentuated by bright blue eyes that shone brilliantly, all sat atop a nicely sculpted body then clothed by a dark blue shirt, the top two buttons undone, and snug-fitting black pants. He was indeed a vision. When she felt the water spilling over the vase and onto her hand, she gasped and turned off the faucet.

Horatio heard the gasp and turned to face her. "Calleigh?"

"Sorry," Calleigh said embarrassed. "I must have dozed off and forgot to turn the water off."

Horatio smiled. "Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Yeah…I think I just became too focused on the vase, that's all."

----------

As the Hummer rolled along the pavement toward the movie theater, the silence shared between Horatio and Calleigh was enough to put a library to shame. Calleigh shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat, unsure of what to say or do. She was afraid that if she looked over at Horatio, she would get caught staring and Horatio would think something was wrong, so she instead looked at the road ahead.

Horatio's heart was beating a million beats a second and he felt as though his stomach had been tied into slip-proof knots. He faced the same dilemma, but he was also overcome by the whirlwind of events that happened just that day.

_Is it merely a crush or is she truly in love with me?_ he pondered as he found the theater parking lot. _This all seems too hasty, but if I say anything she may think I just want to be friends. I want to be more…we share so much and I can talk to her with more ease than anyone else. I just don't know yet. Why can't I just figure these things out?_

Calleigh felt relieved as Horatio parked, then walked over to her side and opened the door to help her out.

"I…apologise for being such a bore in the car," Horatio said as his hands once again touched hers.

"Oh, it's alright," Calleigh said. "I couldn't think of anything to talk about, anyway." They both shared a nervous laugh and walked inside.

Once the tickets were purchased, Horatio walked over and bought two drinks and one large popcorn.

"Horatio, you don't want popcorn?" Calleigh asked, certain that he was going to pull a lame excuse for them to share the popcorn.

"Oh, I never finish my popcorn, so I thought maybe we could share it," Horatio said, handing her a drink.

"And do you always buy the large?" Calleigh cleverly shot back, catching Horatio in a corner.

Horatio ducked his head and smiled. "You caught on."

----------

As the movie played on and the popcorn dwindled down, Horatio was still trying to sort the situation out in his mind. As he was trying to figure out his feelings for Calleigh, he unintentionally reached for a handful of popcorn at the same time Calleigh did, and their hands brushed past one another. His heart began to race as he turned to catch her staring at his hand. She snapped her hand up, blushed, and then looked back at the movie. Horatio stared for a moment at the wonderful woman who sat next to him. He felt grateful for having Calleigh in his life, for she had been there for him in the toughest of times. His mind went back to the locker room when she practically fell into his arms; at that particular moment he felt a warmth missing from his life since before his mother died. _As much as she deserves to be happy, so should I,_ he told himself. _I should try to make this work, and if it doesn't, hopefully things won't be too different. I can't afford to lose her._

Horatio then placed the popcorn in the empty seat next to him and quickly placed his hand upon Calleigh's, which had been resting on the armrest next to him. Hoping that he hadn't done anything wrong, he looked over at Calleigh, who was staring at him. As he was whispering her name, she maneuvered her hand to grab his. Horatio was relieved and watched the rest of the movie with his hand holding hers whilst a large smile graced his face.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking out of the movie theater hand in hand, Horatio and Calleigh had just gotten into the Hummer when a torrent of rain ravished the parking lot.

"Just in time," Horatio said, closing the door.

"This must be my lucky day," Calleigh continued. "I get the guy, saw an awesome movie with him, and got into the car just as the rain hit."

Horatio smiled. "I'm just lucky to be with the most beautiful woman I've been fortunate to know."

Calleigh snapped her head to look at him with a puzzled face. "I'm sorry?"

"Well, what can I say?" Horatio replied. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known."

Calleigh was stunned. "Is that all I am to you, Horatio? Just a pretty face?"

Horatio turned to look at her. "Of course not, Calleigh, what I meant was…"

"Wait a minute, let me guess," Calleigh continued, "I also have the killer bod to match. Is that it?"

"No, that's not what I meant…" Horatio tried to explain.

"Oh, I think that is what you meant. You know what, let me out."

"Calleigh, don't be silly," Horatio said. "It's raining out, and you'll get sick."

"Oh, so I'm a dumb blonde, huh?"

Horatio was shocked at this sudden change of behaviour. "Calleigh…"

"You know what Horatio? Forget dinner. Just drop me off at my place."

"Alright," Horatio muttered, conceding defeat.

----------

Horatio fumbled around for the umbrella in the back seat in an attempt to catch up with Calleigh, who had the door open right as the Hummer pulled into the driveway. He gave up on it and ran toward her.

"Calleigh…Calleigh wait!"

Calleigh sharply turned around, an angry look on her face. "What?" she yelled.

Horatio inched toward her, weighed down with regret. "Calleigh…I didn't mean what I said that way. You've got it all wrong."

"Horatio, I don't want to hear it. You don't have to apologise for being a typical male. Please…just leave me alone."

Calleigh began to turn around when Horatio grabbed her arm. "Calleigh, listen. Please."

At this point Calleigh was drenched from the pouring rain. "Go ahead," she said quietly.

"Calleigh…what I meant from that was that I'm just lucky to be with anyone thanks to my horrible shyness, and I'm even luckier to be with you. You understand me more than any woman I've ever been with. Not even Marisol knew half the things you know about me."

"But you only dated her for a little while before you two married. We've known each other for years."

"I know, but despite that, Marisol and I spent a lot of time alone together. We learned a lot about each other, but she still didn't know everything about me. We have never spent time together outside of the lab, and during that time we found out so much about each other."

A hint of a smile emerged on Calleigh's face. "That's true…I never told Hagen what I like in my coffee."

Horatio tilted his head and smiled at Calleigh. "See? Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I'm a lucky guy for having someone who actually understands me in my life. Everything that I've gone through…it hasn't been easy, but you've been so caring. You've…helped me along, you've kept me going when it all seemed to crash down right in front of me."

His voice started to crack as he continued. "I'm not very good at communicating my feelings, especially with women, but with you…with you, it just comes natural. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about you, but now…now I know. I can't live without you Calleigh."

Tears welled in Calleigh's eyes as she started to sob. "Oh Horatio…"

"Calleigh, I'm so sorry for…"

"Horatio, just shut up and kiss me before we get pneumonia."

Horatio chuckled. "Yes ma'am."

He swept Calleigh into his arms, grabbed her head to pull her close, and proceeded to ravish her with long, wet kisses, accentuated by the thick raindrops that continued to pummel their bodies. She allowed him to shower her with the kisses, in turn grabbing his head to keep him close.

When he finally ceased his romantic assault on her lips, he pulled back to look at her. Calleigh's face, marked by the mascara that ran down it thanks to the rain, looked as if she had the wind knocked out of her.

"Wow," was all she could manage.

She looked up at the man standing before her, how the rain had made his clothes cling to his tight body and pinned his hair onto his head. He was breathing heavily, obviously overcome with it all. She fell back into his arms, needing him. Horatio put one hand behind her head, running his fingers through her rain-soaked hair.

"We should go inside," Calleigh whispered into Horatio's ear.


	4. Chapter 4

Three months had passed since the fateful evening in which Calleigh finally had her wish come true. The time since then had been one brim-full of magical evenings shared with Horatio, be it at a crowded restaurant or on the comfort of his couch snuggled close in front of his television. Either way, she was with him and she was never happier, for he was always there to hold her whenever she needed him for support.

When Horatio received a startling bit of news, however, Calleigh knew she would have to be his rock that day and perhaps for a few more after that. She knew that something was peculiar about Kyle Harmon the moment she first gazed upon his visage; his blue eyes were undeniably familiar, and his composure, calm during the initial interrogation, reminded her so much of Horatio that she feared more than coincidence. Once she saw Horatio outside talking with Yelina, whom he had sent to uncover more about this mysterious young man, the look on his face when he received the news brought a large lump to her throat. She knew he had received earth-shattering results from Yelina's investigation. She watched as he walked slowly back inside to his office before she crept outside, carefully hidden from the view from Horatio's office, to where Yelina still stood.

"Yelina, what's going on?" she asked as she approached Yelina.

Yelina turned to face Calleigh and looked at her with serious eyes. "Calleigh, this kid Kyle…I did some digging on him, and I found out that he has been with foster parents since he was a few months old."

"Okay, so why does Horatio look like he's just seen a ghost?"

"Because," Yelina started, "Kyle's real father is Horatio."

Calleigh gasped, mouth agape. "Oh my god…"

Yelina nodded. "Yeah. I asked Horatio if he was all right and he said he needed some alone time to process this whole thing. I don't blame him; that's quite a lot to chew right now."

"Yeah," Calleigh said quietly. "I wonder why Kyle's mother never told Horatio about him. Knowing him, he would have loved to have had the chance to take care of him, you know?"

Yelina smiled. "Of course. You should see the way he interacts with Ray Jr. Horatio is such a wonderful father figure to him."

"Horatio's always had strong feelings towards family," Calleigh said. "He was so helpful when I had my problems with my dad. I hope I can help him with this."

"I think…now is the time you should help him," Yelina said. "He needs you now more than ever."

Calleigh nodded.

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With the blinds closed and only the light of the small desk lamp illuminating the room, Horatio sat at his desk, trying to comprehend the bigger picture.

_I never thought I would get the chance to be a father,_ Horatio said to himself. _Knowing that I helped to create a life…as much as I would be happy that I finally have a child, I just wish I could have been there to raise Kyle right. I hope it's not too late for Kyle, for my son._

The sound of the door handle turning roused Horatio from his deep train of thought. Calleigh quietly slipped in and closed the door behind her. The look on her face told Horatio that she had talked to Yelina and found everything out.

"Hi," Calleigh said as she slowly approached Horatio's desk.

Horatio forged a small smile. "Hey. So…I take it Yelina told you about Kyle."

Calleigh nodded. "Yeah. I'm so happy for you."

Horatio sighed, folded his arms on the top of the desk and laid his chin atop them. "As much as I am, I just wish I could have been there for him, you know?"

"Of course I do," Calleigh said, pulling up another chair and placing it right next to his.

Horatio then laid the side of his head on top of his arms in order to face Calleigh. "What am I going to do? I'm afraid of what's going to happen to him."

"Well," Calleigh said, placing a hand on top of his head, "he's still a minor, so if he is guilty, then maybe his sentence won't be as harsh."

Horatio lowered his voice to near-whisper. "I hope he's innocent, though. He still has a full life ahead of him, and I hope to help him get on the right track so he doesn't spend the rest of his life in jail."

Calleigh began to rub her fingers through his hair. "You're going to be such a great father," she said as the soothing strokes of her rubbing his head calmed him down even more. "I hope to be there to help you along the way."

Horatio smiled. "I would like that."

As Calleigh continued to run her fingers through Horatio's hair, Horatio slowly began to drift into a soft and peaceful slumber. Yelina sneaked in around the time of the night shift's arrival to catch Calleigh asleep in her chair, her fingers still locked in Horatio's hair. Yelina grinned as she walked over to Calleigh and gently roused her from her nap.

"How is he?" Yelina whispered.

"I think he'll be all right," Calleigh answered. "He's going to need some help with Kyle, though, which worries me."

Yelina nodded. "Day shift's over. I think you need to take him home."

"Okay. Thanks for coming in, otherwise I wouldn't have woke up."

Yelina smiled and walked out. Calleigh turned around and gently nudged Horatio. With bleary eyes, Horatio looked up at a smiling Calleigh.

"Hey Handsome, it's time to go home," Calleigh whispered.


End file.
